Antitheft devices which attach to an automobile steering wheel have been known heretofore, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,127 to Johnson. Such antitheft device for attachment to a steering wheel of an automobile includes an elongated body member having a passage way extending along an axis therethrough, an elongated rod member adapted to move in telescopic fashion in the passage way of the body member along the axis, opposed hooks for engaging inside portions of the steering wheel and lock means associated with the body member engaging the rod within the passage way for locking the rod within the passage and stationary with respect to the body member at any of selectable a plurality of positions. While the antitheft device described above is functional, it includes several disadvantages. For example, both in and out telescopic movements of the rod member require a key to unlock the lock means. Another problem with such device is that it presents pry points wherein a rigid pin or arcuate ruler-like thin objects can be inserted through a gap between the passage and periphery of the rod member to reach a spherical bearing of the lock means and press it down by overcoming the bias force of a spring member thereon to release it from engagement in a groove in the rod member and unlock the device. Yet another problem with the device is that, in order to prevent complete rotation of a steering wheel of a car, the elongated body member must be relatively long and thus cannot be carried in the cabinet of the car.
It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide an automobile steering lock that overcomes the foregoing disavantages associated with prior art devices.
Another object of this invention is to provide an automobile steering lock which can extend in two stages so as to reduce its overall length in a collapsed state.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an automobile steering lock that extends to dispose same in a locking condition.
A further object of this invention is to provide a locking device wherein the locking mechanism is totally enclosed therein and includes no area susceptible to prying by a crowbar, rigid pin or the like.